Matthew McConaughey confirmed on the August 13 episode of the Completely satisfied Unhappy Confused podcast that he significantly thought of enjoying Joel Miller in HBO’s The Final of Us.
Pedro Pascal finally received the half, and the sequence, primarily based on the online game of the identical identify, premiered in 2023. McConaughey mentioned his curiosity within the character made sense given the place he was professionally on the time, when he was appearing much less and spending extra time writing and weighing management pursuits.
Collection co-creator Craig Mazin beforehand confirmed that the 2 mentioned the likelihood throughout a 2023 episode of the identical podcast.
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McConaughey On Turning Down Joel
McConaughey pointed to what he was doing at that stage of his profession to elucidate how the dialog happened within the first place.
He mentioned, “I wasn’t actually appearing at that time. I feel that a part of once I was doing extra writing and management roles in life, and stuff. It was actually good. I used to be actually excited.”
Writing tasks and different pursuits crammed that stretch of his life, but there was nonetheless room for actual enthusiasm a few sturdy piece of fabric touchdown in entrance of him. After weighing the chance absolutely, McConaughey was easy about the place issues finally settled.
“The Final of Us was actually good. It wasn’t for me on the time,” he mentioned. Liking a challenge and being able to decide to it are two separate questions, and for McConaughey these two issues merely didn’t line up.
Profession Route
McConaughey admitted that even he lacked full readability about his personal course throughout that interval. He mentioned he didn’t know “what would have been good” for him at that time. It factors on to why the timing by no means labored out, irrespective of how a lot he favored the fabric itself.
The Texas-born actor additionally sat with the truth of how a lot dedication a profitable tv sequence pulls from everybody connected to it. He defined, “A sequence, you do have to contemplate. I do take into account, properly, you need this to succeed. Effectively, in success, that is one thing you’ll be doing for years and years and years.”
Such elements performed into his general evaluation, although his personal account locations essentially the most weight on the place he stood personally and professionally at that time in his life.

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Mazin On McConaughey’s Casting
Mazin addressed the dialog immediately when requested about it, making clear precisely how far the discussions went. He mentioned, “I can’t say that it was critical. It was extra of similar to, ‘Hey, right here’s one thing we will discuss.’ … It is a type of issues the place I am certain there’s an alternate universe the place it is a completely different man.”
His account frames the trade as an early and informal dialog, not one thing near a proper provide. Mazin additionally spoke warmly about McConaughey whereas standing firmly behind the present he finally constructed with Pascal.
He mentioned, “Look, Matthew McConaughey is a tremendous actor. I’m certain it could’ve been nice, however it could’ve been completely different and I just like the one which we made.” These phrases present real respect for McConaughey with out suggesting Mazin ever second-guessed the completed sequence.
Pedro Pascal As Joel
Pedro Pascal went on to play Joel Miller when The Final of Us premiered in 2023, delivering a efficiency that turned him right into a family identify nearly instantly. He returned briefly for the present’s second season, which aired in 2024, earlier than his character was killed off partway by means of that season.
Pascal later spoke to Leisure Weekly about how he has processed Joel’s destiny throughout the story. He mentioned, “I’m in energetic denial. I understand this increasingly more as I grow old; I discover myself slipping into denial that something is over. I do know that I am eternally bonded to so many members of the expertise.”
The Emmy-nominated actor added, “I simply should see them below completely different circumstances, however by no means will below the circumstances of enjoying Joel on The Final of Us. And, no, I don’t spend a number of time fascinated by it as a result of it makes me unhappy.”
These phrases seize how carefully Pascal stays tied to a personality he can by no means step again into.

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McConaughey On True Detective
McConaughey had already made a daring play at tv almost a decade earlier, starring in True Detective in 2014. He didn’t maintain again when describing that transfer years afterward the podcast.
He mentioned, “We pulled off an actual coup with True Detective at a time when sequence weren’t one thing that actors like myself or Woody Harrelson would jump over and go do. That one succeeded in an actual royal trend.”
McConaughey’s phrases make it clear that he already understood what a status tv sequence may give an actor, having proven it as soon as earlier than The Final of Us was even a part of the dialog.






